Chapter 27: To the Stream in Passage Two

Original: Chapter 27: To the Stream in Passage 2

I walk along Passage 2.

I walked quite a bit. Probably close to 40 minutes. Along the way, quite a few Monsters about knee-high to me appeared. Some even attacked, but I ignored them all and just kept walking.

“I wonder if the Conquest Target Crayfish is big?”

I can’t quite imagine a big crayfish. It’d be nice if it was about knee-high.

“If it’s too big, I’d probably be too scared to fight it…”

Well, well, I wonder how it’ll turn out.

I can hear a lot of voices from up ahead. Just past the next corner to the left. That must be the stream that’s the stage for the Quest. I headed there.

My field of view suddenly opened up. There are a lot of people. They all seem to be around my age.

“Eek, it went over there!”

It looks like a Party of about six high school girls is fighting.

“No way, no way, no way. I’m only Level 18!”

“Just be the decoy. I’ll Attack from behind.”

“I’m telling you, no way! Ahhhh! My waist got caught in its Pincers————!”

Wow, that’s a real pinch.

“Hey. Please don’t let it cut you clean in half. That’d be gross.”

“Help me! I’m gonna die!”

“You’ll be fine, right? You’re wedging your Sword sideways to keep the Pincers from closing!”

“But it’s about to break!”

Ahahaha, they’re fighting while laughing and saying things like “how pathetic.”

Somehow… they all seem like really cheerful people. Everyone’s doing the Quest happily.

I came here with pretty serious resolve, you know. The vibe is totally off.

“More like, I feel incredibly out of place…”

Is it really okay for a gloomy-looking girl like me to be here, mixed in with such bright, cheerful people?

“No, it’s not okay. I should go further in…”

If I fought the Crayfish here, I’d probably feel sick from being exposed to that cheerful atmosphere.

“More like, the Crayfish is super huge.”

The Crayfish’s eyes are about chest-high on me. Its body length is probably about twice my height. Its Pincers are huge, looking like they could crush my head whole with a single squish.

“That’s definitely a strong Monster.”

Scary… But—

“It looks like it’ll be worth defeating.”

It’s a feeling that makes me shiver with excitement. A feeling like fighting spirit is blazing up from the depths of my body. It feels like my wild instincts are being awakened.

I walk a little along the stream.

Given that this Quest was limited to 20 groups, there were quite a number of people in the same place at the same time.

Some are trying hard Solo, while others are challenging it in large groups like those girls earlier.

Those girls probably formed an impromptu Party with people who were here. I saw those senior girls from the Plaza earlier mixed into a different six-person Party, but they were originally a pair, I think.

“I wish I could ask to join… but I don’t have the communication skills for that…”

If I did, I wouldn’t have come to the Dungeon alone. Sigh… It’s lonely. I’ll distract myself by fighting.

I walk while listening to the sound of flowing water. The water seems pretty clean.

They call it a stream, but it’s quite wide. The water depth seems pretty significant if you go out towards the middle.

Looking at the others, they’ve all taken off their shoes and entered the river. Maybe the Crayfish won’t appear unless you enter the water. Even if I look across the stream, I don’t see any Crayfish anywhere. They’re probably lurking out near the middle of the stream.

“I need to be careful not to get dragged into the water.”

If I drown, having a Potion won’t help at all.

“More like, do I have to search for the Crayfish after entering the water…?”

That’s very troublesome. Once in the water, your movements inevitably become sluggish. I’m not very confident I can maneuver well.

I’ll observe how the others handle it as much as possible. Subjugating a Monster on your first encounter is tough, so I should gather any information I can beforehand.

Hmm…

I think I mostly understand. The person in front of the Crayfish somehow endures with Defense and evasion, while the people who get behind it launch Attacks.

“In other words, I’ve realized this is of no reference to me at all…”

The person fighting Solo is a guy, so that’s also not helpful. It seems like a brute force, muscle-powered approach.

“I guess I have no choice but to fight in my own way…”

A female Solo Hardcore Clearer is probably rare.

Come to think of it, that beautiful senior who’s rumored to be the best in the school was a female Solo Hardcore Clearer, wasn’t she?

“I’d like to meet her someday and talk about Dungeon Conquest.”

Also, if that senior is a loner… I might want to know how she survives high school life. Being a loner is pretty tough. The pace of the classes is insanely faster than in middle school. It’s enough to break your spirit.

Thinking such thoughts, I stopped walking.

Around here should be fine. I’ve put a fair distance between myself and the others.

“Shall I search for the Crayfish?”

I turned my gaze towards the water of the stream.